School of Music Mason Hall The State University of New York at Fredonia Fredonia, NY 14063 Ph: (716) 673-3151music@fredonia.edu

Music Theory and Aural Skills Placementfor Incoming Students

At Your Audition:

At your audition you will take a short Music Theory Placement Exam(link to practice exam below)that is used (along with your audition and your SAT scores, etc.) to determine admission
and music theory/aural skills placement for your first semester. A second opportunity
to take this exam is offered at summer orientation (below). After you complete this
exam you will receive a summary of your results; the summary gives a percentage score
and general feedback about your performance on various concepts tested on the exam.
Use the results from this exam over the next several months to help guide your preparation
for successful university music study at SUNY Fredonia. The Music Theory Placement Exam at your audition is taken at the computer; you will have at hand a MIDI keyboard
to play and ”feel” for scales and chords, etc., and will be allowed to bring scratch
paper and pencil.

The score you earn on the Music Theory Placement Exam at your audition will help to determine whether remediation is necessary. Students
earning a score lower than 85% will be required to enroll in The Rudiments of Music
during your first semester along with Music Theory I and Aural Skills I. The Rudiments
of Music is a course for students who have not yet developed adequate competence with
rudimentary concepts of music reading and construction.

At Summer Orientation:

If admitted to the School of Music you will have a second opportunity to take theMusic Theory PlacementExam during the summer orientation process. This will be the final opportunity to take
this exam for testing out of the Rudiments requirement.

Transfer Students and the AP Music Theory and Aural Skills Tests:

For transfer students and freshmen who have had more extensive music theory study
before enrolling at SUNY-Fredonia a placement process occurs also during summer orientation
so that students can place into more advanced courses as appropriate.

Students having earned a score of 4 or higher on the AP Music Theory Test are admitted
to Music Theory II (MUS 123); those students having earned a score of 4 or higher
on the AP Aural Skills Test are admitted to Aural Skills II (MUS 121). Visit the
Office of Admissions for a listing of Advanced Placement Exams and Fredonia Equivalents:www.fredonia.edu/admissions/advance_credit_list.asp#ap

On-Line Practice Test:

An on-line practice Music Theory I PlacementExam is available by clicking on the link below. To take the practice exam simply click
on the exam link; you may come back to it as many times as you wish. When you finish
the exam you will receive a score and an indication of the questions you answered
correctly and incorrectly. There are fifty questions. Some advice to consider when
taking exams like this:

• Don't dwell on questions that you can't answer right away; leave such questions
alone and come back to them later.• Answer all of the questions, even if you have to guess at some.• When you finish the last question, go back and review your responses; use all of
the time you have before submitting the exam.

The Eastman School of Music offers pre-college courses in music theory, including
the AP music theory program, at their Eastman Community Music School (http://www.esm.rochester.edu/community/classes/theory.php)